CANAISIS ∞ Chronicle One ∞ 2: A Captain's Journey

77 ∞ Looking Up

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Shortlisted – Day 0003

Gareth felt uncomfortable under Harlin's gaze, but he knew he had no choice. Not if he wanted to find Caitlin quickly. He told Harlin his story as succinctly as he could, keeping it brief. Harlin listened without judgment in his eyes. When Gareth was done, a few seconds of silence passed before Harlin responded.

"And this took you totally by surprise? No signs that this was coming? Could your relationship have been on the rocks already, and this just pushed things over the edge?"

Frowning in thought, Gareth looked out the window before replying, "I honestly don't know what to think. She's always encouraged my career choices. She never expressed any resentment at my being away while I worked. This totally took me by surprise, but I do think she'd already made up her mind before the announcement of the Two Hundred. Hell, I don't know... Maybe her disease has affected her thinking somehow. I just don't know."

"Alright, that's something I can work with."

Gareth snapped his gaze back to Harlin. "What?"

"Ahron's disease is unpredictable in how it affects a person, and how fast. If your wife is suffering mentally, and there's no reason to not think so, then I have a little room to work with."

Puzzled, Gareth watched Harlin swipe his hand over the arm of his seat, calling up the car controls. He entered a new destination, then looked up.

"Where are we going?" asked Gareth.

Harlin smiled a little. "To meet a friend who can help. Since you're now active military, I can bring you along—your security clearance is high enough if I vouch for you."

Gareth wasn't amused at this ambiguous answer. But pressing the issue wouldn't help, not if it involved security clearance.

They sat in silence for half an hour. It wasn't until the car banked that Gareth was pulled from his thoughts and looked out the window. They were approaching a nondescript square-roofed building with an unusually large landing pad and a ramp leading down into the interior. It spoke of a government building in Gareth's eyes. But nothing indicated what department it belonged to as they circled it in their descent.

A gentle touch-down, and Gareth turned to Harlin for a cue on whether they were getting out. Harlin shook his head as the drive motors engaged. The car drove itself slowly to the ramp. They passed four guards stationed at the bottom of the ramp, but they paid them no attention beyond noting their arrival. As they rolled past the rows of parked cars, Harlin answered Gareth's unasked question. "They knew we were coming the minute I entered the car's destination. My friend keeps an eye out for me."

"Friend?"

"You'll see. Just be patient. If anyone can find your wife, he can."

They descended five more levels before arriving at a parking spot. Uneasy, Gareth followed Harlin's lead, got out of the car, and walked the short distance to a plain elevator door. Harlin placed his hand on the palm reader beside the door and waited as a flat beam scanned his retina. Then he motioned for Gareth to do the same.

The elevator door opened as Gareth stepped back, blinking his eyes from the scanner's bright light. He followed Harlin inside. Harlin did not punch a floor number, so Gareth watched the indicator count down twenty levels.

The elevator released them to a long hallway of closed doors on both sides, with a row of small, similarly spaced keypads, red lights shining. Harlin led the way, and the two walked in silence until they approached a door where the red light on the security pad switched to flashing green. Harlin placed his palm on the scanner above the pad, and it buzzed, unlatching the door.